Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
745 results found
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Add 'Release' button for Envelope distort object in Control bar
Control bar is still the best thing to control various aspects of selected art. You try to transfer some of those to Properties, but 'Release' button (as long as 'Expand') is still nowhere to be found (only deep in menus or on hotkeys, already taken).
16 votes -
Make an option to show points' handles when part of the path is transformed live
I often modify part of the path or single point with basic tools. For examples, it's quite convenient to select one point and rotate it, if I want to change the angle of it's handles, or scale it, if I want both rotate and scale. Unfortunately, AI hides handles when I drag my selection with a chosen tool. It makes sense in general, but I would like to have an option not to hide it, so I could see where my handles are all the time of transformation.
16 votes -
Add total artboard counter when exporting
When I export my artboards (with 'Export as'), AI sometimes won't show whole range numbers, but stick to previously entered numbers for this file. This is fine.
But my problem is I often need to export all artboards, but not first. And I don't remember exactly how much of them I do actually have — this differs from project to project.
So I have to exit 'Export as' dialogue, go to Artboards palette, see how much artboards are there and return to exporting.Why not to show how much artboards I do have inside dialogue window?
Please see mockup attached.16 votes -
More details on "an error occurred while processing the appearance of an object".
When you start doing complicated work with a lot of effects, you start getting the above-mentioned dialogue. It is incredibly unhelpful: which of the several thousand objects in my illustration is causing problems? What layer is the offending object on? Where in the appearance stack did things go awry? Maybe I'd like to find out which object caused this - how about a button to select the offending object, unlocking whatever containing objects may be locked?
To make an analogy for the programmers: imagine if your compiler just said "some errors happened while compiling your project", and didn't even tell…
16 votes -
Return greeking of vector graphics
AI is never fast enough. Pan is slow.
Why did you remove greeking completely? If I wanted to better have nice looking art while panning, I would tick an option in Preferences! But now there's no such an option.
InDesign still have greeking option fro both text and vector art.
Please return it back as an option (and add slider for quality, as ID has).16 votes -
Add ability to use fractional values for resolution everywhere
AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmBut if we need lower value, such as 10 or 20 or 30 ppcm (working in scale with huge designs, such as ad bus wraps), we can't use it, because AI doesn't allow to enter fractional values anywhere inside! We can't use 50.8, 25.4, 76.2, Ai would round it to 51, 25, 76.
This will give…16 votes -
Reveal in Finder / Explorer option for document tabs
Reveal in Finder Option - Currently reveal in finder you "command + click" file name at top of window, however this option is not availble when window is tied to the application frame.
16 votes -
Allow tool bar to be fixed horizontally on either top or bottom
Now that the properties has been finally set in the right panel, I love it! This allows me to have the layers set in the left panel. Next step, It would be nice to have the ability to set the tool bar above or below horizontally.
16 votes -
Add Cut At / Connect / Remove Selected Anchor Points commands to 'Object > Path' menu
In Control panel we have three buttons for a point partial selection:
Remove selected anchor points.
Does the same as a menu command Object > Path > Remove Anchor Points, and this command can have a hotkey assigned toConnect selected end points.
Does the same as a menu command Object > Path > Join, and has a default hotkey. Why Ai uses both 'Join' and 'connect' for the same operation, and also has 'Join' tool, which does a pretty different thing — is an UX mystery.Cut path at selected anchor points.
There is NO a menu command for…
15 votes -
Add thumbnail file previews to windows
Please add thumbnail file previews to Windows as we have with Adobe Reader. It's not fair that Mac users have this and Windows users don't While you're doing that please add them to PSD files as well.
15 votes -
Expand toolgroup on hover instead of long-click
Holding a mouse button to open a tool group can be not preferred way for some users that have experience in other software packages. It would benefit them and others if Illustrator will provide an option and a delay in Preferences to open these with just a mouse hovering over tools.
15 votes -
Don't erase Note in Attributes when image is relinked
I store meta-information about image in Note field in Attributes palette. When I relink images, AI erases Note info. Don't do this. I see relinking as changing path to an image, not replacing image entirely. I need Note to be kept. Now I have to copy note before relinking and paste it back.
15 votes -
Bring back Access Keys Underscores
AI 23.0 Win7x64 hides underscores until Alt is pressed down, while 22.1 shows them always. 22.1 does it rights, and 23.0 does not. Please give us option to always display underscores.
15 votes -
Add 'Expand shape' button in Transform palette
You can convert live ellipses and rectangles to ordinary paths by using Unite in Transform palette, which is a nice hack. But the only way to convert live lines to paths — is through menu, Object > Shape > Expand shape. Three precise clicks with long distances run in-between.
Please, add button for this in shape properties area in Transform palette. There's plenty of space.
When path can be converted to live shape, change 'Expand live shape' button to 'Convert to live shape'.
And why there's no command for that in contextual menu still?
15 votes -
Allow to choose file version when saving templates
One of our designers still use old version of AI.
We need to share newly created templates (.ait) with her.
But AI doesn't give options when saving templates!
So I'm forced to save to .ai first, choose CS6 version and then change extension by hand.Why can't I see same options for templates?
15 votes -
Add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does
AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmSince fractional values for resolution are impossible within AI (while Photoshop does!), we have to import via PS or work in scale and are very limited.
Please, add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does.
15 votes -
Improve and allow customize the 'Show' info slot in the bottom bar (next to horizontal scrollbar)
Show field next to zoom and artboard selectors below work area can now show 5 things:
current artboard name, which is nowhere else is seen except Artboards palette;
current Tool, that is usually visible if Tools panel is on;
current date-time, which is visible in system clock;
number of undos, which was quite useful when RAM was tiny;
current profile, which is visible in document header.
I mean, almost every info available is also available in other place!I would like to use this field as something exclusive:
number of selected objects (nowhere to be seen, only PathScribe plugin can…15 votes -
Duplicate Layers with sequential numbering rather than "copy"
When you duplicate a layer it would be much better if, rather than the XXXX copy suffix the duplicate layer was numbered. And preferably numbered XXX_0001 (or a format one could specify in the Preferences). This would make working with layers much much easier - especially when working with After Effects.
15 votes -
Sync the order of Align and Distribute menu commands
Hey, we now have Object > Distribute commands! No more actions wraps to bind these to hotkeys!
However, why is the order is swapped? Align menu has Horizontal commands first, but Distribute has them at the bottom, under Vertical.
One can object it’s just like the Align panel has them, and this is not the legacy behaviour you better keep, really. Please sync these.
14 votes -
Customizable splash screen
Adobe marketing team decides what to display as splash screens. Sometimes the choice is great, and sometimes is not, much more often, to some of us.
And since the Illustrator splash screen is what we see often, and it obviously influence our thought and mood, we’d like to have options to customize it.
We can access the image ourselves, all of them are stored along with other version for different resolution screens at
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator 2022\Support Files\Contents\Windows\aiccsplash.png (on Windows)
and packed in the application in Contents\Resources\ (on Macs),
but this feels like a hack.What if we…
14 votes
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